How Ghost Nets Put Ocean Life in Danger
In How Ghost Nets Put Ocean Life in Danger, naturalist Steve Backshall is scuba diving when he notices something disturbing: an old net that is covering the coral reef and seabed. Steve helps free a trumpetfish and a clownfish by cutting away the netting. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
Lesson Express
Q: What happens to old fishing nets?
A: They're often abandoned and left to float in the sea.
Q: Why does Steve have to be so careful when cutting away the nets?
A: The coral can be hundreds of years old and very fragile.
Q: What impact do ghost nets have on the coral reef?
A: They can cover the coral and trap animals.
More Like This
In Whales Caught in a Net, a whale rescue team travels hours to reach a whale that has been tangled in a fishing net. It is a dangerous job, but they manage to free the distressed whale. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Natural World: Humpback Whales — A Detective Story, a documentary about our relationship with whales and their future alongside us.
In How Belize’s Mangroves Keep Coral Thriving, host Simon Reeve ventures into Belize’s Bacalar Chico National Park to uncover the connection between mangroves and coral reefs. He dives into the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest in the world, which sustains over 500 species of fish and has recently been removed from the endangered list. Alongside workers, Simon explores how mangroves serve as vital fish nurseries, with their tangled roots protecting young fish until they’re ready to join the reef. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America.
In Adaptations on the Kelp Forest and Ocean Floor, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how bat rays, fish, and sea slugs have adapted to live in the kelp forest. Learn how animals have developed behavioral and physical adaptations to living on the sandy seafloor. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In A Real Life Finding Nemo, Sir David Attenborough explores the unique relationship between the clownfish and the sea anemone. Often poisonous to other fish, the anemone serves as a protective home for the clownfish. The male clownfish repays the favor by keeping the anemone clean and removing debris. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Whales Caught in a Net, a whale rescue team travels hours to reach a whale that has been tangled in a fishing net. It is a dangerous job, but they manage to free the distressed whale. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Natural World: Humpback Whales — A Detective Story, a documentary about our relationship with whales and their future alongside us.
In How Belize’s Mangroves Keep Coral Thriving, host Simon Reeve ventures into Belize’s Bacalar Chico National Park to uncover the connection between mangroves and coral reefs. He dives into the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest in the world, which sustains over 500 species of fish and has recently been removed from the endangered list. Alongside workers, Simon explores how mangroves serve as vital fish nurseries, with their tangled roots protecting young fish until they’re ready to join the reef. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America.
In Adaptations on the Kelp Forest and Ocean Floor, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how bat rays, fish, and sea slugs have adapted to live in the kelp forest. Learn how animals have developed behavioral and physical adaptations to living on the sandy seafloor. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In A Real Life Finding Nemo, Sir David Attenborough explores the unique relationship between the clownfish and the sea anemone. Often poisonous to other fish, the anemone serves as a protective home for the clownfish. The male clownfish repays the favor by keeping the anemone clean and removing debris. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.